The ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its more powerful GPU and CPU which makes it suitable for intensive gaming and demanding applications. However, it is less portable than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, weighing more, and has a larger physical size. The Surface Laptop Studio, despite having a less powerful GPU and CPU, provides the benefit of a touchscreen, higher screen resolution, and a more compact and lightweight design, making it better suited for general use and portability. Both laptops have similar storage and memory capacities, so if gaming or intensive tasks are less of a priority and portability is paramount, the Surface Laptop Studio may be the better choice. However, for better overall performance and gaming capabilities, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 is recommended. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G16
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, making it better suited for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with its Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti and a 120Hz screen refresh rate, offers respectable but not top-tier gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
7.3/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 with its more powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU is considered very good for engineering and design, as it provides high rendering and computational capabilities essential for intense workloads, but at the cost of being heavier and less portable.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
291.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio boasts a high-resolution and bright display, which enhances everyday activities like browsing and video streaming, making it an excellent choice for clarity and comfort. The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both feature displays with wide color gamuts, ensuring that professionals in engineering and design have accurate color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to low refresh rates, which means they won't provide the smooth visuals that are critical for fast-paced or highly detailed visual tasks.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.4in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,374
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 has a price of $1,374 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.4/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.3/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
9.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix G16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"With the mobile Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, the Asus ROG Stix G16 hits the sweet spot between performance and cooling. The G16 also does not have to shy away from direct comparison with its supposedly stronger family member, the ROG Strix Scar 18 with its RTX 4090, as most benchmarks of the two laptops are very close to each other. Moreover, the G16 should be significantly cheaper. Depending on the supplier, the price difference here could be almost US$ 2,000. In the 2023 model series, Asus has significantly leveled out the differences between the two high-end lines."
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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